The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed that additional Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) may have brake pedals that could snap off, posing a serious safety risk.
Last year, Stellantis issued a recall for Dodge Hornet and Alfa Romeo Tonale hybrids with defective brake systems, specifically noting that the brake pedals could snap during operation. At the time, a total of 21,000 vehicles were affected, 17,000 Hornets and 4,000 Tonales.
It has now emerged that the issue persists, affecting additional vehicles. This development comes from a recently published recall safety report by the NHTSA last week.
According to the NHTSA, an extra 6,000 vehicles are now listed as potentially affected by snapping brake pedals. This includes 2,688 Alfa Romeo Tonales and 3,286 Dodge Hornets, and, as before, the issue is limited to PHEV variants. With this addition, the total number of affected vehicles rises to 27,000.
The report states that both the Tonale and Hornet PHEVs built for the 2024 model year “may have been built with a brake pedal assembly that may collapse while braking.” Those were the exact words from the NHTSA.
Further describing the risk, the agency said: A brake pedal arm that collapses during normal braking may prevent the driver from being able to activate the service brakes.”
The affected period for these vehicles began on February 23, 2023, when the first 2024 models were built for the U.S. market. The number of affected models was determined using both supplier and vehicle production records.
While the idea of a “snapping” brake pedal sounds alarming, the NHTSA outlined potential precautions for drivers.
One suggested method is to rely on the electronic parking brake, assuming it is not defective, to slow the vehicle. In extreme cases, the Automatic Emergency Braking system should activate if the car detects a potential accident, provided the feature is not disabled.
The report also notes that, as of November 24, 2025, there has only been one report of an accident linked to the issue, with zero injuries reported.
As for the repair, the NHTSA says: The remedy will be to reinforce the brake pedal arm by adding a bolt and a nut.” This repair will be performed by dealers free of charge.
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